Students Seizing Initiative

April 30, 1989|By MARK DI VINCENZO Staff Writer

WILLIAMSBURG — Andy Lark has been called a fund-raiser's dream come true. But with too many Larks, there would be no need for fund-raisers.

Lark, a 1979 graduate of The College of William and Mary, explained why he made a $25,000 pledge to the college: "The gift was made from my own volition. No one had to ask me for it. The spark to give was lit by the students. I saw their enthusiasm, and that had a lot to do with my gift and especially the size of it."

The students are the officers of the W&M Student Advancement Association, a group established by students to help the college fund-raising campaign, which will be announced Friday, and to educate students about the campaign's importance to W&M's future.

Lark, a trustee of the college's Endowment Association, became familiar with the students after the Endowment Association made the student group one of its four standing committees.

"We tend to criticize the younger folks by calling them members of the `me generation,'" he said. "But it's terrific that they would take the time to do this while they're in school."

The students treat officials in W&M's Development Office almost like big brothers, seeking advice from them but making sure not to interfere. The students try to identify potential donors who might be most receptive to being approached by students, then ask permission to contact those potential donors.

"If you're an alumnus and the Development Office hits you up for $500 one week, we're not going to call you one week later and ask for money," said Eric Kauders, executive director of the Student Advancement Association. "It's all very calculated."

Kauders said he hopes that the avoidance of professional fund-raisers will make it easier to raise money.

"With the knowledge that we're not full-time development officers but students who really care about our university, maybe people we contact will take that into consideration," he said.

Association officers see their role as more than amateur fund-raisers, however. They also want to be amateur educators, informing students about the campaign and W&M's past, present and future and urging them to volunteer on behalf of the college.

"We consider the education portion of what we do the promotion of endowment consciousness," said Jay Austin, former executive director of the student group. "We see ourselves as a mini university advancement office."

The idea for the Student Advancement Association was first discussed three years ago, and its development was made a priority by Austin during the 1987-88 school year, when he was president of the Student Association, the student governmental body.

"Students have helped out with fund-raising in the past by stuffing envelopes and making an occasional phone call," Austin said, "but they've never done anything like this before."